Self-closing detachable theater seat



May 21, 1935.

M. T. VANDERVOORT SELF CLOSING DETACHABLE THEATER SEAT Filed June 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 93 M. T. VANDERVOORT 2,001,991

SELF CLOSING DETACHABLE THEATER SEAT Filed June 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Shget 2 Milfovd T Vmdewoorfi 40 from its standards.

Patented May 21, 1935 A i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE; M j 2,001,991 A SELF-CLOSING DETACHABLE THEATER q SEAT. Milford 1. Vander'voort, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to. Ernest A. Wedemeier, Grand Ra ia rnch. I ApplioationJune 5,1933, Serial No. 674,321 solann (01. 155-85) iMy invention relates generally tomeans wherecessed bearing block being not shown in order by automatic return movement of a pivoted eleto clarify thedisclosure. ment is had, and more particularly to a folding Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view looking in'the dichair seat construction. i rection as indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 3.

Inmany chairinstallations, as in theaters and Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 the like, it is desirable that the chair seats fold upo wardly and remain in their upper or vertical Similar numerals refer to similar Darts positions when empty wherebythe patrons may t ou h t al-Vi smove about with a minimum of difliculty and Referring particularly to Figs- 1 and 10 furthermorethe sweeping and cleaning of the dica-tes chair seat suppo t sta dards o which 11'0 I theaterfloor is facilitated as will be readily un a ou t d the a m sts, and backs l2. derstood. I r Brackets or plates R3 are attached to the stand- Also, in installations of this character, someards, journals i l being e y formed W h times the floor is uneven thu Causing i and extending from the several bracket memregularity in the positioning of the standards bers. See p u a y sel and 5. As shown 15 which, in turn, cause binding of theseat during n 3. a a u as 2 avi a s at its pivotal movement. cushion 2i see Fig. 1, has a cast or stamped blocl; My invention eliminates both oftheabove-dif- 22 d y attached thereto, this bloekbeing ficulties; Thespringlever arrangement beneath sed in semi-Cylindrical shape as indicated at the seat initiates the upward movement of the A180, see aslot 24* is formed at the 20 seat and then, with diminishing efiect, rotates front 'endoi thebloclr; A bear m- .5 is atthe seat upwardly about its pivot. Near the up tached at Zii to'the underside of the seat base per arc of movement or the seat a. snubbing deand has beefing portion 27 adapted" to t into vice comes into effect and decelerates the seat to the semi-cylindrical portion of the block mem a very. slow and gradual motion, this snubber ber 22, a t 23 extending threllgh the ea in 25 l continuing its action until the seat abuts against a and t e s10t in the b ock to hold these the back of the chair. The latter part of the members tightly against the underside of the seat. motion is aided by the actionof gravity upon the A channel member 30 is pivoted; at 3l-g to the rear side of the seats pivot. front end of the bearing arm and extends below 30 i The journals about which the seat turns may the journal M as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. 30

be enclosed by yieldable sleeves which permit A boss 3 av 2, 0am e is o d W h both axial and radial movement of the seat a stop po 34 eXteIlding o a d y omits thereon as well as some tilting movement and" lower end, has a flexible element 35 such as a thus any irregular, positioning, of the standards leather strip entirely encircling the same, a rivet 35 is taken care of.

1 Still another advantage resides in the spring A coiled spring 40, of the shape shown in'Figs. 4 adjusting means, this determining the upward and 7, is detachab y and adjustably fastened a force acting upon the seat. Also; the adjusting M to the channel member 38 and its free ends means is detachable to permit removal of the seat are'held together and joined by the clip 42. A

vIn ,the drawings:.. 25, see particularly Fig. 6, and a floating eye on Fig.1 is avertical cross sectional view through the snubber member 44, preferably made of a a chair seat constructionmade in accordance flexible metal strip, pivotally connects the coiled with my invention and showing the seat in its. spring 46 and the connecting loop 43 as clearly 45 upper or folded position. 3 shown in Fig. 4. v 45 Fig; 2 is a plan view of several of the chair The journal member l4, previously referred to, seats, the seats themselves being shown in dotted has an axial groove I 5 therein. A flexible relines. silient sleeve IE, preferably formed of leather, en-

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, circles the journal 14 and a pin I I having its particularly disclosing my novel hinge construce head in the groove l5, extends outwardly through 50 tion. the leather sleeve and prevents turning of the Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing leather sleeve with respect to the journal memthe seat in its lowest .or operative position. ber, thus preventing wear therebetween.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4. The bearing arm 25 has a slot 39 formed there- 5 Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of Fig. 5, the rein, the end of the pin l1 riding in the slot and 36 joining the ends thereof. 35'

loop member 43 partly encircles the bearing arm 40 maintaining the leather sleeve in proper axial alinement with the bearing member 25.

The operation When the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 1 the center of gravity of the seat and its seat cushion lie to the left of the journal l4 and consequently the same tend to rotate counter clockwise. However, the snubber member 44, see Fig. 3, is tensioned by being bent as this upward movement occurs and thus the movement is arrested in a gradual manner without noise. Also,

the detrimental rubbing contact between the top of the seat cushion and the seat back is eliminated. I

When one desires to use the seat, the same is pulled outwardly and downwardly whereupon the parts move toward the position shown in Fig. 3, the free end of the channel brace lever riding against the leather and preventing any noise. This elimination of noise is very desirable.

Further movement of the seat downwardly causes the free end of the channel member to travel along the cam or guiding edge of the boss 32 and forces the channel member 36 to rotate about its pivot 3|, thus tensioning the coiled spring as. hastly, see Fig. 4, the end of the channel. member 36 abuts against the stop member 34 and, after forcing the leather 35 against the stop 34, brings the seat to its proper lower position in which it is utilized.

Upon removal of the weight from the seat cushion, "the spring immediately becomes active and tends to pull the free end of the channel member 38 toward the journal member M and this movement causes a reaction between the free end'of the channel member 30 and the cam edge 33 which in turn causes the seat to rotate upwardly.

After the seat has turned upwardly to approximately the-position shown in Fig. 3, the free end of thechannel member abuts against the leather sleeve l5 through the floating member 44 and, if desired, the upper end of theencircling strap member 35 and this causes an action which prevents rapid movement of the seat. That is, the member is engaged between the journal I 4 and the channel memberSll and thus the spring memberdd'is gradually bent from substantially a straight line position as shown in Fig. 4 to a curved flexed position as shown in Fig. l. Thus the seat is brought to a gradual, noiseless stop.

From the above description, it will be understood that my invention as applied to a folding '1 seat, will cause the same to move to its upper position in a positive but quiet manner.

I claim: 7

1. A construction of the class described, comprising, a standard having a journal extending therefrom, a seat, bearing means fastened to the against the stop member when the seat is in substantially horizontal position to prevent downward movement of the said seat, spring means mounted upon the seat and tending to pull the free end of the arm toward the said journal, and cam means fixed to an element of said standards and engaging the free end of said arm for guiding the free end of the said arm whereby the seat is moved to substantially vertical position due to the action of the said spring means.

2. In a device of the character described,a supporting standard having a journal extending therefrom, a seat member or the like adapted to be pivoted upon said journal, said seat member having a recess therein adapted to be placed downwardly over said journal when the seat is horizontally located, an arm pivoted to the said seat and extending under the said journal, spring means tending to move the arm against the said journal and cam means for guiding the free end of the said arm downwardly from the said journal when the seat is moved from the vertical position to a horizontal position and stop means adapted to prevent movement of the free end of the pivoted arm downwardly beyond a predetermined point for the purpose described.

3. In combination, two spaced apart standards having journal members extending therefrom, means to mount one edge of the seat upon one of said journal members and means to mount the other edge of the seat upon the other of said journal members, said mounting means including a block member having a recess therein fitting approximately one-half of the said journal, an arm pivoted onto the seat and extending on the opposite side of the said journal, spring means tending to urge the arm against the said journal, said arm moving in a path on movement of the seat, and stationary means located in the path of the arm whereby movement of the seat about its axis will cause the free end of the arm to move away from the said journal for the purpose described.

4. A construction of the class described comprising supporting standards having journal members extending therefrom, a seat member pivoted upon said journal members, means for raising said seat member upon said journal members including an element pivotally connected to said seat member and having a portion movable toward and away from one of said journals, means urging said movable portion toward said journal, cam means rigid with a supporting standard guiding said movable portion away from said journal as the seat is lowered about the journals, and stop'means to'limit the movement of the movable portion away fromthe journal and to support the seat member in horizontal position.

5. The elements combined in claim 4 but also including spring means located between the'movable portion and the journal, said spring means being engaged between the said movable means and thejournal during the last of the movement of the seat to vertical position for the purposedescribed. V

MILFORD T. VANDERVOORT. 

